Reports
Raised Among Arms: Child Soldiers in Europe
- Europe Team
- 13 October 2025
- Armed Conflict, Child Soldiers, Human Rights
Tens of thousands of children are recruited and used as soldiers in international and non-international armed conflicts around the world. According to the Paris Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups, a child soldier “refers to any person below 18 years of age who has been recruited or used by an armed force or armed group in any capacity, including but not limited to children, boys and girls, used as fighters, cooks, porters, messengers, spies, or for sexual purposes. It does not only refer to a child who is taking or has taken a direct part in hostilities.”
The number of child soldiers is increasing year by year, despite all the conventions and protocols stating that children should not be recruited and used in armed conflicts.
Armed conflicts affect every aspect of children’s lives. Children who are recruited and used in armed conflicts may experience trauma that can have lifelong effects; they can be injured or killed, uprooted from their families, subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation, and deprived of education.
The recruitment and use of children in the armed forces or armed groups has been widely condemned by the international community, but children are forcibly involved in armed conflicts. Moreover, the release and reintegration of these children is another huge issue, because they may face an uncertain future, and their families and communities may not accept them anymore. Girls are most likely to be stigmatised and even rejected by communities. Advocating against child soldiers is important because the international community has the ability to raise awareness and remind the whole world that children should be protected and kept away from armed conflicts.
This report is divided into several parts. The first part delves into the international and European legal framework, more specifically, the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol, and it also discusses the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the most important ICC judgments on child soldiers.
The second part explores the forms of militarisation of minors, such as indirect militarisation, direct recruitment, and direct involvement in armed conflicts, so that readers can better understand how children are used in armed conflicts.
Then the report talks about the human rights implications: how the involvement in armed conflicts violates children’s rights, including the right to education, development, and protection; what kind of long-term effects can it have on a child’s life?
One of the most significant chapters is about the responses and protection mechanisms, and how the prevention and reintegration policies work at the regional and international levels. What kind of role does civil society have in protecting and helping children to reintegrate into society?
After discussing all these important topics, the last part of the report will contain not only the conclusion but also some recommendations for the European states and the European Union (EU) to strengthen prevention measures.
The number of child soldiers is increasing year by year, despite all the conventions and protocols stating that children should not be recruited and used in armed conflicts.
Armed conflicts affect every aspect of children’s lives. Children who are recruited and used in armed conflicts may experience trauma that can have lifelong effects; they can be injured or killed, uprooted from their families, subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation, and deprived of education.
The recruitment and use of children in the armed forces or armed groups has been widely condemned by the international community, but children are forcibly involved in armed conflicts. Moreover, the release and reintegration of these children is another huge issue, because they may face an uncertain future, and their families and communities may not accept them anymore. Girls are most likely to be stigmatised and even rejected by communities. Advocating against child soldiers is important because the international community has the ability to raise awareness and remind the whole world that children should be protected and kept away from armed conflicts.
This report is divided into several parts. The first part delves into the international and European legal framework, more specifically, the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol, and it also discusses the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the most important ICC judgments on child soldiers.
The second part explores the forms of militarisation of minors, such as indirect militarisation, direct recruitment, and direct involvement in armed conflicts, so that readers can better understand how children are used in armed conflicts.
Then the report talks about the human rights implications: how the involvement in armed conflicts violates children’s rights, including the right to education, development, and protection; what kind of long-term effects can it have on a child’s life?
One of the most significant chapters is about the responses and protection mechanisms, and how the prevention and reintegration policies work at the regional and international levels. What kind of role does civil society have in protecting and helping children to reintegrate into society?
After discussing all these important topics, the last part of the report will contain not only the conclusion but also some recommendations for the European states and the European Union (EU) to strengthen prevention measures.
✨ AI summary
Tens of thousands of children are recruited as soldiers in armed conflicts globally, despite international conventions prohibiting such practices. A child soldier, as defined by the Paris Principles, is any person under 18 engaged in various roles within armed forces, from combat to support positions. The recruitment adversely affects children’s lives, leading to trauma, abuse, and loss of education, while societal reintegration remains a significant challenge, particularly for girls due to stigma. This report examines the international legal framework, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the forms of militarization, the human rights implications of children’s involvement in conflicts, and ongoing protection mechanisms. It highlights the necessity for international advocacy and includes recommendations for European nations and the EU to enhance preventive measures.
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